Dear Hillary Ronen, et. al.,
An ever-growing tent encampment moved in front of my house on December 6. Today, close to the tent and in front of my next door neighbor's house, is a massive liquid dump of diarrhea. It is raining and the diarrhea is permeating through the sidewalk where families walk, children walk, and people walk their dogs. This diarrhea can be tracked into the house unknowingly where kids and pets can then carry it to furniture and food surfaces.
This is the consequence of having tents on our public sidewalks and in front of our houses. Because of a San Francisco policy that prioritizes encampments on public sidewalks rather than building shelters the health of my community is put at risk.
I know this is the direct result of this encampment because of the proximity of the tent to the diarrhea and because the last time we saw diarrhea on the sidewalk was when there were encampments on our streets.
The below photo is of a 157 unit project with ground floor artisian studios that should have been built in 2017 on the SW corner of Shotwell and 26th, but you killed the project.
Instead of having a stable building housing people invested in our community, this block has had to deal with out-of-control encampments, illegal dumping, trash, graffiti, and other urban blight. The graffiti-covered Safe Sleeping Area that now exists there is a half-block of blighted territory that has encouraged encampments and crime. On the NE corner of Shotwell and 26th (directly opposite the above tent), the owner moved out because of deteriorating conditions in the neighborhood. It cannot be sold because of the same deteriorating conditions in the neighborhood. When places are abandoned, more blight is encouraged. I just walked by the hollowed out shell of Walgreens on Mission and Cesar Chavez the other day. It's only a matter of time when more encampments, trash, etc. occupies the vacuum that exists there. My neighborhood is spiraling out of control, has been for years, because of your failed policies.
And here is another ugly truth: the Hot Team that now is tasked with persuading people to move into shelters, instead, actively aids their continuing presence on our sidewalks. I have seen it and I experience it with the ever increasing tents in my neighborhood.
Sidewalk squatters are San Francisco's sacred cows. Communities are sacrificed and our health is compromised so that they can proliferate on our sidewalks untouched. For years, San Franciscans thought that the problem of huge encampments could be solved only to realize that huge encampments are the City's solution. In short, there is not a so-called homeless problem, there is a political problem.
My husband called 311 about the diarrhea only to be told it will take 12 to 24 hours for someone to come out. How many people will be exposed to potentially dangerous pathogens by then? But whatever, if you are a resident in this city your health and wellbeing means nothing to Hillary Ronen, her colleagues, or the mayor.
Sincerely,
Francesca
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